


Loneliness and His Friends

by andrastesgrace (RoxieFlash), gallifreyslostson



Series: Family Assembled [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Unrequited Love, bisexual!Howard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2015-10-05
Packaged: 2018-04-24 21:07:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4935367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoxieFlash/pseuds/andrastesgrace, https://archiveofourown.org/users/gallifreyslostson/pseuds/gallifreyslostson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every moment Howard spends with Steve is a little bittersweet.  Some more than others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loneliness and His Friends

Howard let out a curse as his screwdriver once again slipped out of place and sliced across his finger.  He brought the abused digit up to his mouth, glaring at the obstinately broken airplane, before sighing and picking up his floodlight and trudging back to camp.

Steve looked up from the fire when he approached, one hand ready on his gun, but he relaxed when Howard held up his hands.

“Didn’t mean to--”

He stopped when Steve held a finger to his lips and tilted his head; only then did Howard notice Peggy curled up against the captain’s side, fast asleep.  He paused, then tiptoed closer, holding his hands out to the fire before speaking again in hushed tones.

“You know, I’ve been around Peggy a lot over the last couple of years.  I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen her sleep.”

“She gets cold,” Steve replied, the shoulder not occupied by the brunette shrugging a little.

“I’ll bet,” Howard snorted.  “I’ve helped out my share of the ladies with the cold.”

“Stark,” Steve said in a warning tone as Howard winked.  “How’s our ride looking?”

“Ugly,” Howard said, shaking his head.  “But better than I thought, with all the smoke.  Can’t get anymore done tonight though, not if I want any fingers left in the morning.  Light of day, I might be able to patch her up enough to make it to the nearest base at least.”

“Not a Hydra one.”

“Preferably not.  Hey, did Dugan leave his flask out here?”  Steve glanced around, then picked up the flask and tossed it underhanded to Howard.  “Bless that drunk son of a bitch.”

Howard unscrewed the cap and took a swig of whiskey, swallowing as he watched Steve adjust the blanket over Peggy as she shifted a little in her sleep.  He looked away quickly, staring at the fire a minute before taking another drink.

“I mean it, you know,” he said after a minute.  “Never seen her sleep.  Never even seen her relax.  You’re good for her.”

“You think?” Steve asked, looking up at him, and Howard nodded.

“Sure.  You care about her don’t you?”  Steve smiled a little, nodding.  “She needs that.  Someone who really sees her and likes what he sees.  That’s why Erskine picked you.”

“So I could hit on Peggy?” Steve asked, and they shared a grin.

“I wouldn’t put it past him to have that as some background motivation,” Howard said.  “He liked Peggy too.  But no.  It’s because you’re...a good person.  And you see people, really see them.  Look at your group here.  You think Colonel Phillips would have put this group together if he had his way?  But you’ve done amazing things with them.  Me, I’m just a civi pilot.”

“Oh, come on,” Steve scoffed.

“Okay, maybe I’m also a multi-millionaire genius and unrepentant playboy,” Howard added with a smirk.  “But that’s where it would end, til you decided to make me your personal wartime taxi service.  And I’ll remind you that the meter’s still running.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.  Not sure I can afford you.”

“I’ll bill you.”  He took another drink as Steve gave him a mock salute.  “Point is, that’s the kind of guy Peggy needs.  Someone who’s not gonna try to take her home and stick her in the kitchen and forget about her.  Someone who’ll be there to support her, whatever she wants.  Someone who knows how capable she is and loves her for it, instead of despite it.  That’s what you do.”

“Suppose,” Steve said, his eyes taking on a far away look that made Howard frown.

“Was there really any doubt?”

“That I...care about her?  No.  It’s just...what happens when this is all over?”

“I don’t follow.”

“She’s from England, and not bad off.  I’m just a kid from Brooklyn.  I can’t take her back there.  She deserves more than that.”

Howard shook his head a little, frustrated by the low self-worth Rogers showed at every turn.  He was Captain America, for god’s sake, and he was worried about what kind of home he’d give his girl at the end of the war, as if Peggy could possibly give a damn about that.  The girl who never slept was curled up against him in a freezing forest clearing like it was the Ritz.  That escaped no one’s attention but Steve’s, apparently.

But he was Steve.  So of course he’d be worried about that.  Because he worried about everyone.

“Maybe you’ll get lucky,” Howard said finally, “and Uncle Sam will cut you a check to go with your next medal of honor.”

“Maybe I should ask for a raise,” Steve laughed.

“Couldn’t hurt,” Howard said with a shrug.  “You're still the golden boy, representing all the best the grand old US of A has to offer to the front.  Come to that, you’re a national icon, you could be sitting in the White House one day.  President America.”

Steve let out a genuine laugh at that, although he choked it back when Peggy made a sleepy complaint.  He fussed over her for a minute before looking back up at Howard.  “Is that your official bid for national treasurer?”

“What I couldn’t do with that sort of budget,” Howard said wistfully.  “There’d never be a hungry kid again.”

“Bet not,” Steve said, a small smile on his lips, and Howard again got the uncomfortable feeling that came with being around Steve too long--that sensation of being exposed, and Steve seeing more than he meant.

“Anyway,” he said, taking another swig before capping the flask again.  “I’m sure you’ll work it out in any case.  You kids are gonna have a great life, you watch.”

“Thanks, Stark,” Steve said, raising the completely wrong hand to shake Howard’s as he bent to put the flask down again.

“I’ll forgive you for that, but only because the pretty girl is sleeping on your other arm,” Howard joked, taking his friend’s hand and shaking it briefly.  “Get some sleep.”

He headed toward his tent, a little shaky after the whiskey.  He pulled at the flap, then glanced back to see Steve kiss the top of Peggy’s head before settling in and laying his cheek there to close his eyes.  Howard shook his head, mouth twitching in a rueful smile.

Yeah, Steve and Peggy would have a great life.  If it was the only thing he could do for the captain, he’d make sure they got that.

 


End file.
